Cotton-baling device.



W. D. SMITH. COTTON BALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25,1912. 1,085,364, Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

[NVENTOR WILLIAM DAVID SMITH, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

COTTON -BALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

Application filed November 25, 1912. Serial No. 733,522.

'0 all about it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM DAVID SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county ofShelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gotton-Baling Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for baling cotton and isprimarily designed and adapted for use in connection with the type ofpresses known as, revolving double-box presses used in connection with abattery condenser, tramper and compress.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a movable platformthat will be normally out of place but that when needed may be advancedto a position immediately in front of the mouth of the lint-slideleading from the condenser, and over the location occupied by thepress-box when in its situation. The purpose of this platform is toprovide additional space for holding the cotton that is ginned while theboxes are being exchanged thus allowing the ginning to be continued.

A second object is to provide means for placing the said platform in andout of its operative position.

A third object is to provide a safety guard to protect the said platformfrom injury by the tramper.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a revolvingdouble-box cotton press showing partial views of a hydraulic compressand a steam tramper. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the box B of Fig. 1showing a side elevation of the lint-slide and a partial side elevationof the battery condenser. Fig. 3 shows a top view of the box B and myplatform with its actuating mechanism and safety guard as it wouldappear on the section line CO of Fig. 9.. Fig. 4 is an enlargedprojected view of one end of the platform resting on the slide-hangerand showing the detail of the safety guard. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofone of the slidehangers showing the end of the platform in dottedoutline.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawing.

In order to make clear the function of my apparatus in its relation tothe art of ginning and baling cotton it will be necessary first todescribe the present method of operation with these doublebox presses,and to point out certain defects therein which I have been able toovercome by the use of my adjustable platform in conjunction with itssafetygnard, whereby a great saving has been effected both in time andmoney from the fact that by the use of my improved apparatus I have beenable to keep the gins running continuously while the baling was inprogress and thus turn out many more bales per day than was possibleformerly without the use of my apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, the press-boxes A and B are secured to therevoluble axis 1 which is rotatable in the bearings 2 and 3, and thepress-box B is registered in position with its open upper end abreastthe lower end of the lint-slide 4 and so alined that the cotton as itcomes down the lint-slide from the battery condenser 4 falls into thebox B.

At intervals during the dual operation of ginning and pressing, thetramper 5 is caused to descend on the cotton so as to pack it in thepress until there is sufficient cotton in the press to make a bale.During this process the lock-rod 6 must be in engagement with thelock-nut 7 to brace the box against the descending force of the tramper5, in which position it remains until it is time to reverse the boxes,whereupon the lock-rod 6 is kicked off the lock-hook 7 and drawn to oneside by the spring 20. The lock-rod 6 also performs another functionwhich will appear later.

When there is enough cotton in the box B to make a bale the tramper 5 isrun down for the last time and withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 2whereupon the lockrod 6 is released from the lock-hook 7 in order thatthe boxes A and B can be turned about on their axis 1 until they haveexchanged places, B now being over the compress 8, and A at the mouth ofthe lintslide 4 ready to receive cotton from the condenser which it doesas soon as the tramper 5 is elevated from the position in Fig. 2 to thatof Fig. 1 which act-ion raises shield-board 9 that is attached totramper 5 from before the mouth of lint-slide 4; and allows theaccumulated cotton to fall into the press.

It will be observed that the space between shield-board 9 and batterycondenser 4 is very limited and as this is all the space available forthe reception of the cotton that is ginned during the time occupied inexchanging the boxes, it frequently happens that the cotton chokes inlint-slide 4 before the incoming box is registered in place to receiveit. This choking of the lint-slide f and condenser f necessitatesfrequent stopping of the gins and the baling until the congestion isremoved.

To remedy the above mentioned defects and obviate the necessity ofstopping the gins I provide the movable platform 11 which remainsnormally out of operation under lint-slide 4 until needed when it can bebrought forward by pushing shift-lever 12 upward to move in the slot ofthe bar 14 in the direction of point 13 which transmits motion throughshifter-bar 14 around pivot 15 to thrust-rod 16 which advances platform11 on hanger-slides 17 to a position over the location of the receivingbox where platform 11 forms an auxiliary extension in front oflint-slide 4. While in this forward position, platform 11 receives andsupports the cotton that flows on to it from lint-slide t while theboxes are being exchanged. A reverse motion of lever 12 withdrawsplatform 11 to its normal position under lint-slide 4, which latterscrapes the cotton 01f platform 11 causing it to fall into the press asthe platform is retracted.

From the different views it will be seen that platform 11 is providedwith safetyguard 18 which carries safety-flange 19. Fig. 3 shows clearlythat so long as the lock-rod 6 is engaged with lock-hook 7 it isimpossible to advance platform 11 under tramper 5, similarly it isimpossible to engage lock-rod 6 with lock-hook 7 when safety-guard 18 isadvanced forward, hence it follows that there can be no interference oftramper 5 and plat-form 11 seeing that trarnper 5 is never caused todescend unless lock-rod 6 is in position of engagement with lock-hook 7.Actual practice has demonstrated that by the use of the platformaforesaid the baling and ginning can be carried on simultaneously andcontinuously.

WVhile I have herein shown and described specific forms of my inventionI do not wish to be limited thereto except as for such limitations asthe claims may import.

I claim:

1. In a cotton press and in combination with a means of cotton supply, amovable platform adapted to receive cotton from said means.

2. In a cotton press and in combination with a means of cotton supply, amovable platform, advancing or retracting the said platform.

3. In a cotton press and in combination with a means of cotton supply, amovable platform having a safety-guard adapted to prevent interferencefrom a tramper.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM DAVID SMITH.

Witnesses:

S. G. DAVENPORT, JOHN E. COLBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

means of support, and means for i

